2 dead in crash in Colorado's Clear Creek Canyon after crime spree

Two people are dead after a crime spree and a crash on Tuesday in central Colorado.

The Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office says in the early afternoon their deputies tried to pull over a 29-year-old man driving a minivan who was suspected of breaking into more than two dozen vehicles over the last two weeks. That person was suspected in the theft of ammunition and a gun.

The driver took off and drove the wrong way onto Interstate 70 at Exit 244, at which point authorities stopped following the van. The car was heading westbound in the Interstate's eastbound lanes, but because of rock scaling work there were no cars coming in the opposite direction. About a half mile down the highway, the minivan turned around and began speeding eastbound in the same lanes.

Deputies then used stop sticks to try to stop the driver but the vehicle continued onto Highway 6 with flattened tires and police began chasing it again. Soon afterwards, the driver lost control and the minivan went into oncoming traffic.

The driver then hit a person's car head-on, ultimately flipping it into Clear Creek. Both drivers in the collision wound up dead.

Another passenger, a woman, who was riding in the suspect's vehicle was taken to the hospital with unknown injuries.

The identities of the drivers and the other person who was hurt haven't been released. The sheriff's office says they are investigating the recent break-ins further.

There was a lengthy closure of Highway 6 following the crash.